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of chemical poisons and of nerve agents...

The January 5 issue of Sciencemag.org had a very incisive article about nerve agents. It followed an article about a few Iranian men, who had been gased during the Iran/Iraq war of the 1980s. Many of our young people today would not have a clue about what happened then, but “yet again”, the devious West encouraged by supplying armament and “intelligence” on both sides — a war between Iran and Iraq in order to weaken these two countries — but especially foster the destruction of Iran that had thrown out its Western dictator in the revolution of 1979, the Shah.

Each countries lost about one million men, including a few too many who were gased. No victory to anyone and a return to the status quo. Records of these war-supplies show German, UK, US and other European firms cashing in by selling raw and processed materials to manufacture chemicals and biological weapons, especially to Iraq.On 28 June 1987, Iraq dropped a 250 kg bomb on Sardasht containing mustard gas. Mustard gas is a somewhat primitive weapon. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfur_mustard) Sulfur mustard was originally developed in large-scale production for the Imperial German Army in 1916. It is a gastly weapon (mostly a liquid mist) that attacks the skin and the lungs.———————————Nerve agents are a different kettle of fish. They mostly act on the destruction of a necessary fine-tuned enzyme in the brain (and body nervous system) called acetylcholinesterase (AChE). The chemistry of the human (animal) body —and its nervous system — is amazingly complex and yet works superbly well, considering all the pitfalls possible.Acetylcholinesterase is the primary enzyme that catalyze the hydrolysis of cholinergic neurotransmitters, such as breaking down acetylcholine into choline and acetic acid. These will recombine as the need for neurotransmission arises again. Meanwhile, AChE is synthesized within the nerve terminal from choline, taken up from the tissue fluid into the nerve ending by a specialized transport mechanism. The relationship between neurotransmitters and AChE is critical. AChE HAS TO DESTROY THE neuro-transmitters for the next transmission to be possible.Okay, so, this chemical reaction — which we have no clue about as we think about summer lasting a bit too long in Autumn — is necessary to allow a neuron to return to its resting state after activation. In muscle contraction, acetylcholine at a neuro-muscular junction triggers a contraction. For the muscle to relax afterward, instead of remaining locked in a tense state (cramp?), the acetylcholine must also be broken down by a "choline esterase" — i.e. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Simple enough and working very fast as well, considering the transmission speed of action/reaction/reflex/sensation/pain in the nervous system. And we are so good at it without knowing we’re doing it.AChE is thus the main enzyme that NECESSARILY catalyzes the breakdown of acetylcholine and of some other choline esters that are neurotransmitters. One single molecule of this enzyme (AChE) can catalyse the super-fast necessary destruction of up to 600,000 acetylcholine molecules. We don’t have time to change underpants.AChE is thus found at neuromuscular junctions and in chemical synapses (non-touching nerve and neuron connections of the nervous system), where its activity serves to “instantly” terminate synaptic transmission.

Organophosphorus compounds such as nerve agents and pesticides will destroy the AChE enzyme. The elimination of AChE leads to a quick excess of neurotransmitters in the brain, overloading nerve signals, confusing these signals. leading to seizures and death. Various nerve agents act differently but basically they prevent AChE from “doing its job” of “ressetting the neutral position of neurons”.

Various “nerve agents"

Soman is lightning fast. Death in two minutes

Sarin: death in five hours

VX (venomous agent X): death in 36 hours.

Tabun (used extensively in the 1980s Iran/Iraq war): death in 46 hours.

Novichok: (similar to VX but as “VR”). "deadliest nerve agent series ever made", with some variants — possibly five to eight times more potent than VX.

Counter-poisons:Diazepam, Midazolam, Atropine.

Preventive anti-poisons:Pyridostigmine bromide.

You now know the science. The deceit is that of governments such as the UK government using fake information to bamboozle us.

Now we know where exactly self-proclaimed humanitarian workers have filmed their propaganda videos depicting the Syrian Arab Army as bloodthirsty savages.

The Syrian army has discovered where the White Helmets, an organization that claims to be made up of humanitarian workers and has been repeatedly blamed for creating fake propaganda against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, have been filming their videos, according to Fars News.

According to the report, the place is located in the small town of Saqba in Eastern Ghouta. The army personnel reportedly also discovered cameras and film production equipment left at the site.

On Sunday, the Russian Ministry of Defense denied reports of an alleged chemical bomb being dropped on Douma, also in Eastern Ghouta, suggesting that a number of Western states as well as NGOs like the White Helmets have turned to such claims, which it called "another fake," in order to "undermine the achieved ceasefire."

"We strongly deny these claims and announce our readiness to send Russian experts in radiation, chemical and biological defense to Douma after its liberation from terrorists to gather evidence, which would prove that the allegations of chemical weapons use was staged," said Major General Yuri Yevtushenko, commander of the Russian Center for Syria Reconciliation.

The Syrian government has repeatedly denied using chemical weapons during the war, saying it "doesn't need such measures to stop the terrorists," Fars reports.

The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman has retaliated to the US President's latest tweets, claiming relations with Moscow were worse than during the Cold War and threatening a direct strike on Assad's forces following an alleged chemical attack in Douma.

"Smart missiles must strike terrorists, not the legitimate government that has been fighting international terrorism on its territory for several years," said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova when she took to Facebook to respond to Donald Trump's latest tweets on a possible military strike on Syria.

Trump has become the gesticulating puppet — a nasty Pinocchio with no conscience — of the US war machine. At least we had a year and a half respite... Had Hillary won, Damascus would have been bombed within a short time of her "victory". But the conflict, whether now or then, has been inflated beyond its fake moral value.

By jumping to conclusions about the alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria, Donald Trump’s war cabinet and their media cheerleaders are recklessly pushing us closer to a military confrontation between Russia and the US.

With his new national security adviser John Bolton standing behind him, US President Trump announced on Monday that “everybody” – apparently meaning Syria and Russia – “will pay a price” for the alleged chemical attack in Douma, a suburb of Damascus under the control of Jaysh al Islam insurgents, and that his generals were devising a military response. Trump has also said that he holds Russia responsible for the still unverified attack, signaling an escalation between Russia and the US, a dangerous prospect that seems to be lost on an unquestioning US media that is captivated by anti-Russia hysteria.

But as Trump rushes to punish Syria, the media is ignoring and depriving the public of some crucial details leading up to the alleged attack, details that raise serious questions about who’s responsible.

The Syrian government is in a stronger position than it has been since the war began and has absolutely nothing to gain from launching a chemical weapons attack. This alone should cause some serious skepticism, especially considering the chronology of events leading up to the alleged attack.

Douma is a city in Eastern Ghouta that is under the control of Jaysh al Islam, a Saudi-backed jihadist group that seeks to replace the Syrian government with an Islamic state.

Jaysh al Islam is extremely sectarian and just as nasty in its rhetoric, tactics and goals as the notorious terrorist group Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL). Jaysh al Islam’s founder, the late Zahran Alloush, had openly called for the ethnic cleansing of religious minorities from Damascus. The group also engages in public executions and has publicly bragged about parading caged civilian women from the minority Alawite sect in the streets as human shields. Those caged minorities were among hundreds of Syrian civilians and soldiers held hostage by the group for years in Douma. As many have pointed out, by using chemical weapons the government would be risking the safety of those hostages, which makes no strategic sense, considering the intense negotiations between the government and Jaysh al Islam over their release.

The recent round of arduous negotiations between Jaysh al Islam and the Syrian government coincided with a months-long battle to rout the militants from Eastern Ghouta. The Syrian government is well on its way to victory, with the remaining militants surrounded by the Syrian army, which has retaken 90 percent of Eastern Ghouta.

Provoking intervention

Most recently, Jaysh al Islam was offered a deal by the Russians to give up their fight and, in exchange, those of the militants who wished to stay could become a local security force in Douma. While the Syrian government has allowed other militant groups to evacuate to northern Syria, the same scenario is difficult to implement for Jaysh al Islam, according to sources involved in the negotiations, because the Turks and the Al-Qaeda militant groups that dominate Idlib do not get along with Jaysh al Islam. Their presence in northern Syria would almost certainly start a war between the various sides. Furthermore, the Syrian government’s shelters in Damascus for the internally displaced are overflowing. They cannot handle the pressure of having to care for more internally displaced civilians, so the government prefers to keep civilians in Douma rather than to evacuate them, which has been a part of the negotiations.

However, the negotiations fell apart after Jaysh al Islam rejected the deal, partly because they wanted to hold on to their heavy weapons. The standoff escalated as militants launched missiles at Damascus, including projectiles that, according to an internal UN advisory to staff in the area, contained explosive fragments that resemble cluster bombs.

That led to the Syrian government’s intense bombardment of Douma over the weekend, an attempt to force the group to surrender. In the midst of the offensive, the authorities in Douma claimed the government had attacked the area with chemical weapons. This has become a pattern among insurgents in Syria: whenever they are about to be defeated, claims of chemical attacks resurface. It is possible that such claims are meant to provoke intervention from the international community, as intervention is the only thing that can save them. They also have a history of provoking harsh reactions from the government to justify making concessions.

Another crucial fact that has been left out of the western media coverage of this alleged attack is that the Syrian army discovered a chemical weapons facility that was under insurgent control in an area of Eastern Ghouta recently recaptured by the government. This means that the insurgents are capable of producing chemical weapons and, therefore, should not be ruled out as potential culprits, should the chemical weapons attack be verified.

The Russian government also warned in recent weeks that the militants were planning to stage a chemical weapons attack to spur outside intervention. This was dismissed by the western press at the time as unserious and is now being ignored for the most part, though some have gone so far as to suggest, with zero evidence, that the Russian warning was all a conspiracy to later blame the militants for the attack.

Who benefits? The war hawks!

The other beneficiaries of the alleged chemical attack are US war hawks and their media cheerleaders who had a meltdown last week after Trump announced his desire to pull some 2,000 US troops out of Syria.

Aside from the fact that these US forces are illegally occupying Syrian territory and have failed to receive authorization from congress to do so, the usual chorus of warmongers has capitalized on the alleged chemical weapons attack to insist that the US stay in Syria indefinitely.

For example, Republican Senator John McCain, who has long advocated overthrowing the Syrian government and has rubbed elbows with US-backed jihadist proxies that wreaked havoc across the country, claimed that Trump’s announcement about pulling out US troops “emboldened” Syrian president Bashar Assad to launch the chemical weapons attack.

American hypocrisy

Furthermore, it’s important to remember that the chemical attack has only been alleged. There has yet to be a proper and independent investigation to determine whether chemical weapons were used and, if they were, by whom.

Trump has become the gesticulating puppet — a nasty Pinocchio with no conscience — of the US war machine. At least we had a year and a half respite... Had Hillary won, Damascus would have been bombed within a short time of her "victory". But the conflict, whether now or then, has been inflated beyond its fake moral value.

A spokesperson for the French defence ministry, chiming with MoD partners, said Macron had specified there would be no targeting of Russians in Syria and the focus would be on Syria’s alleged chemical weapons capabilities.

A prime target is the Scientific Studies and Research Centre, west of Damascus, which the US has claimed has been involved in the preparation of chemical weapons.

Targets could include airbases where the chemical weapons are alleged to have been stored, as well as aircraft which have allegedly been used attacks.

Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, an expert who led the UK and Nato chemical weapons response teams, said it was highly unlikely that an attack on Syrian chemical facilities risked spreading the poison.

“The best way to destroy chemical weapons is to blow them up,” he said.

As the West foams at the mouth in anticipation of bombing something in Syria, while avoiding hitting Russian assets, even the Guardian uses staged, fake, not possible, deceptive, unbelievable photos of children having been "gased" or even having been hit with a nerve agent.

When Karen Pierce, Britain’s ambassador to the UN, described the claims that the UK was involved in the set up as “grotesque, bizarre and a blatant lie”. She added: “I want to state categorically … that Britain has no involvement and would never have any involvement in the use of a chemical weapon.” YES! This is correct... THE POINT IS THAT NO CHEMICAL WEAPONS WERE USED IN THE SET UP! It's FAKE!

The big push to derail and/or exploit the Russian world cup for political gain has been unofficially launched today, with a gasp-inducing piece of misdirection by Ronan L Tynan on Twitter.

In case he decides to airbrush this shameful performance out of existence we have helpfully screen capped it for his records.

He began by posting an Amnesty video of a family in Raqqa who were allegedly killed by “coalition” (US) bombing after the vid was taken. The US destruction of Raqqa is of course a modern war crime, so heinous even Amnesty feels forced to acknowledge it, describing it as “a US-led war of annihilation“.

[But Ronan L Tynan is kicking an own goal with this tweet:]

Chilling @amnesty video seeing a family baking bread and then at the end told all later killed in airstrike in #Syria–powerful reminder so many entire families wiped out and holding #WorldCup2018 in #Russia only encouraging #Putin to cont mass slaughter?

The 2017 Battle of Raqqa was the fifth and final phase of the Raqqa campaign (2016–2017) launched by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) against the Islamic State (ISIL) with an aim to seize the city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of ISIL since 2014. The battle began on 6 June 2017, and was supported by airstrikes and ground troops from the US-led coalition.[19] The operation was named the "Great Battle" by the SDF.[48]The battle concluded on 17 October 2017, with the SDF fully capturing the city of Raqqa. It ran concurrently with the Battle of Mosul, which started seven months earlier, as part of an effort by the CJTF–OIR and its allies to strip ISIL of its regional centers of power and to dismantle it as an organization controlling territory.[49]

So, according to Ronan L Tynan, the deaths and misery in Raqqa was due to Putin, when clearly it was not. Raqqa was a hotbed of (Sunni) ISIL terrorists, which the entire "civilised" world, including the USA, wanted to get rid of — except the (Sunni) Gulf States (also supported by the USA) that (no so) secretely supported ISIL (IS, ISIS) and their derivative Al Qaeda and Al Nusra.

Note that Assad has been fighting ISIL, Al Qaeda, Al Nusra (some of these Sunni outfit officially supported by the USA) and has not been keen on the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) which are a defacto terrorist (Sunni) army paid for and armed by the USA against his government.

That Ronan L Tynan supports the USA push in Syria is his own affairs, but he cannot lay the Putin soccer sauce on top of his massive porkies — and those of the USA, that helped foment the (not so) "peaceful" demonstrations (by an already active ISIL) against Assad in 2011.

The role of the USA in the sad deaths of civilians in Syria is far far greater than that of Assad, who has been trying to protect the "non-Sunni" populations of Syria.

The fact is that Putin has helped stabilised the situation with the clinical defeat of the Sunni (fron ISIS to al Qaeda) terrorists and with the creation of "deconflicted zones" in which terrorists and their families have been allowed to go and live (rather than be outright slaughtered) — but without any weapons at their disposals.

Peace has returned to most of Syria except where the USA is still supporting (Sunni) terrorists in its "self"-allocated region of Syria, despite operating illegally in Syria.

Red card for Ronan L Tynan, whoever this "documentary-making" (US propagandist) dude is, for his support of a US Lybia-style demolition of another country, Syria...